Come Back To Me
by BeautifulScarsOnCriticalVeins
Summary: After Bella came to move in with Charlie, she met Paul through school and they finished school together. Paul became a soldier and quickly moved up through the ranks, but something has changed during his last tour that could tear their realationship to pieces. Can they get through it? Sorry it's crappy. Full summary inside!
1. Chapter 1

After Bella came to move in with Charlie, she met Paul through school and they finished school together. Paul became a soldier and quickly moved up through the ranks, but something has changed during his last tour that could tear their realationship to pieces. Can they get through it? NO CULLENS OR PACK THIS IS AN AU/AH! Sorry it's crappy, this is my very first Fanfiction so, please be nice-ish.

ALSO THIS IS YOUR TRIGGER WARNING! THIS STORY CONTAINS SELF-MUTILATION AND ATTEMPT SUICIDE. PLEASE DON'T READ IF THIS MAY AFFECT YOU!

~Disclosure: I don't own this, Stephanie Myer does and I'm just playing with the characters,so there ya go! This is the only one ya get for this story~

It's been a year and a half since I saw my boys, Jared my best friend and Paul my boyfriend of almost eight years. They both were deployed to Afghanistan to deal with the terrorist groups and other secret things I have no idea about. Today though was the day they were finally coming home, Kim, Jared's girlfriend and my other best friend, and I haven't been able to speak to them much because of top secret missions, but we finally got word that they were coming home. She and I have been sitting at their terminal for two hours making sure that we wouldn't miss seeing them, since there are many planes filled with soldiers were coming in and out all this week, many from Fort Lewis.

" _Flight 158 from Seattle to Forks, Washington now releasing. Thank for flying with International_." I stood looking for them, watching every face. I stand higher on my toes, pulling my brown hair into a pony to keep it out of my face.

" I don't see them girl." I say to Kim over the commotion and her face falls.

"They may just be in the back, there are a lot of soldiers coming home today. " She nods and I look again spotting Jared's slightly scruffy face walking over the threshold.

"Jared just passed the threshold, go get him. " I say and she looks at me.

"You sure? I don't mind waiting for him to find us. "

I shake my head.

"Nah, go ahead girl. Get your man!" I say and give her a light push and she takes off running yelling his name. I grin to myself as I watch them hug and look back to see the last person walk out of the terminal and the stewardess close it. I sigh and walk out of the terminal into the cool Forks sun and lean against my orange rusted out truck, eyes closed, shades on, deciding to wait for Kim and Jared.

 _I_ _bet Paul stayed behind for another mission. I wish he could have told me._

"Damn. That's a hot truck and a even hotter girl. Lemme get some boo." I flip off where I hear the voice, not bothering to open my eyes.

"Hell baby girl we can go right now if you wanna. " I groan opening my eyes ready to cuss the guy out when I see Paul standing a foot from me in green fatigues, dark richly tanned skin, dark chocolate brown eyes sparkling, beautiful white smile.

"Paul. " I choke a gasp and launch myself at him. He grabs me mid air, my legs wrapping around his waist, arms around his shoulders.

"God, I missed you Bella. " He says looking over my face marking the new changes since he's seen me last, as I do the same.

"I missed you too Paul. I..I thought you stayed behind to do another mission." I whisper and his arms tighten a bit around my thighs.

"It was time for my platoon to come home for a while. I needed to see you." His voice breaks and I know something happened to him while overseas. I feel a few hot tear drops hit my skin and I tighten my hold on him.

"I love you. " I whisper and his voice tickles my skin when he mumbles back, "I love you too. "

"Bella, Paul!" I hear Jared's voice across the parking lot and look over Paul's shoulder to see them making their way towards us. Jared is grinning from ear to ear, his green fatigues making his eyes shine. His lightly tanned skin is pulled back over a huge grin. Kim is laughing at something Jared said, her pale skin has a light blush spread across her cheeks. Her dark hair flows behind her flawlessly.

Paul puts me down and I go hug Jared and Kim, grinning like a fool.

"Wanna go change then get some food?" I ask looking to boys who nod. I turn and climb into the driver seat and Paul gets into the passenger while Kim and Jared get into the back, I then pull out and head back to Paul and I's apartment.

We go in and I toss Jared clothes he had left here forever ago before Paul pulls me into our bedroom. He pulls me in for a slow, passionate kiss before pulling back to press his forehead against mine.

"I've missed doing that. " He whispers and I smile. He pulls away and goes to his closet pulling out a black v-neck and shorts then sits on the edge of the bed to take off his boots. I sit at his feet and untie them and help him pull them off.

"You didn't have to help me baby." He says pulling off his pants.

"I wanted to, anything to help. You also have a habit of not being able to untie your own knots. " I grin at him and he sticks his tongue out at me.

He proceeds to change into civilian clothes and stands after pulling on sneakers.

"Damn baby. You look hot. " I grin taking in his clothes. Loving how his dog tags are visible because of the shirt. He winks and we walk back to the living room.

Jared is sitting on the couch wearing shorts and a graphic tee and converse, laughing at a picture of Kim and I, a few months ago at the beach, I was hanging upside down on a life guard tower and Kim was in the sand below me covered in sand.

"Bella was really excited that day, we had just heard from you guys a few hours before. She thought she was a monkey and after burying me in the sand climbed the tower. " Both Jared and Paul chuckled.

"I'm surprised how you didn't fall Bells." Paul joked and I shove his arm playfully.

" I'm thinking about cheeseburgers for lunch, what about y'all?" Jared suggests and we all agree and head out.


	2. Chapter 2

Paul was adjusting really well last week, but something changed. I came home from work to see our bedroom trashed and Paul on his knees in the center of the wreckage, his right hand cut to ribbons, his face covered in small cuts.

I run over to him being cautious about him and the shards of glass around him. Crouching a foot away I say quietly, "Paul? Honey, what happened?"

He looks up at me, his eyes haunted.

"I.. I saw them..so bloody..so broken.."

"Saw who?"

"My men. They died and it was my fault, I lead them into a unknown trap. They shouldn't have died. " I watched as his voice grew from a whisper to a roar.

"You couldn't have known. " I whisper and that was the wrong thing to say. His face morphs into a face of rage, he stands, grabs my shoulders, pulling me to my feet, slamming me into the bedroom wall.

"I should have been the one who died. It was my fault!" He cries gripping my arms roughly.

I grit my teeth, I know that he needs to let his anger out; I know he tries not to hurt me and that there are days where he does.

"It should have been me..I got the signal from base, I should have double checked the area. I should have died. " His voice breaks and he drops his knees again, his anger replaced with tears. He wraps his arms around my torso, burying his face into my stomach. The heat of his tears melting through my shirt; I whisper comforts into his ear as I run my fingers through his hair and my hand across his shoulders.

We stand that way for a while before he stands and wipes his face then hissing in pain.

"Come with me, I'll fix up your wounds. " I gently lead him to our bathroom and sit him on the rim of the tub. I grab the first aid kit, tweezers, a small bowl, and a cloth.

" I'll get the glass out first, then I'll see if your hand needs stitches. " I say and he nods solemnly. I sigh internally, used to his shifting mood, as I get to work.

"Thank you baby. I appreciate it." He mumbles after I finish his face and move on to getting the glass out of his hand.

"I'm a little used to it babe, that was your fourth deployment, I understand that you've seen and been through a lot while away. I know I'll never completely understand, but I know I'll be here for your episodes. I love you. " I say as I clean out the last shard.

"You won't need stitches. " I say and begin bandage his hand.

~~~~A few weeks later~~~~

"Your cheating on me!" Paul screams as he glares at me.

"I wouldn't cheat on you Paul! What the hell?"

"I saw you all over him Bella!"

"I'm a choreographer Paul, I have to show the dancers what they need to do. I haven't ever cheated, nor will I ever you bastard!" I growl frustrated. For the first time since he came home he decided to come watch me at work, where he usually would jump in to dance with me. Instead he watched and got angry when me and my partner showed the class what to do. It was a simple salsa dance, so I don't understand why he is angry.

"It's the fact of the matter that you were scantily clothed and he was drooling over you. You didn't even tell him I was home did you?" He growls stepping towards me, I can tell by his stance that he's going into Major Meraz mode and I stand straighter, refusing to back down.

" I did tell him, that's why I was with you the first week when you came home! I had to go back to work, I have to pay bills Paul, I've gotta keep food in the house. For God's sake, Jessie is gay. " I say looking him in the eyes, he glares at me and steps closer.

" Are you disrespecting me soldier?" He growls, his nose inches from mine.

"I am your girlfriend, not one of your soldiers Major. You better back down. I will not let you treat me otherwise Major " I growl back mockingly. We stand there glaring at one another for a minute or two before he backs down and goes back to our room and slams the door. I stand there fuming, knowing he won't speak to me the rest of the night. I sigh and grab a thick blanket from the hall closet and go to the guest bedroom and lays down drifting into a fitful sleep as per usual now.


	3. Chapter 3

It's been almost two months since they got back. The first week Paul was happy and slowly coming to terms with civilian life, but something changed the second week. He became withdrawn and angry, the usual symptoms of his PTSD, but it was worse. He would pick fights with me, throw things. The nights were the worst because if he and I slept together like we used to, he'd wake every night and end up trying to kill me. I tried to help him but as the months wore on he became cold as ice and uncaring. After the second week I began to sleep in the guest bedroom and stay out of his way as much as possible.

I was just walking through the door from work, when I see Paul walking towards me with his military pack over his shoulder.

"Did you get called back?" I asked stepping out of his way.

"No, I'm leaving." He says looking me in the eyes. His face is a cold mask I've never seen before.

"W-why? Can't we work through this? We've been through worse than this." My voice shakes.

"No we can't. We can't because it's not gonna work. You deserve to be treated better than this and I don't love you anymore. "

"You are the best thing for me Paul. Why don't you love me anymore?"

"Because. I can't. It's too dangerous for you to be with me, we can't even sleep in the same bed anymore. I'm either angry or cold. I've tried to kill you Bella. I went into Major mode I don't know how many times, treating you as if you were a soldier, which you ain't. No amount of time is going to help me. I'm leaving, and you can not stop me."

"After almost eight years of being together? After me keeping our home together for four years while you were deployed? After I was told for months that you would die, that I needed someone who was home more often, after your family accused me of being unfaithful? After getting hurt and having to borrow money from my parents to keep our home since I wasn't able to work? After letting you man-handle me, and being asked if I was a victim of domestic abuse, after loving you through all of the bullshit, you're gonna leave? I am the only one in your entire family who can pull you out if a memory, the only one who can sooth you when you break...Or did something happen when you were deployed? Did you get hurt? Oh..." My voice breaks, " I know what it is, you found someone else, one of your female soldiers, who obviously knows you better than me. This is pathetic though, leaving me because you think no one can help, I was the only one. And I stupidly loved you. I let you drag me from country to country during your first tour, all over America the second tour, then from here the last two tours. I lost jobs, friends and even family following you.. I told you I'd follow you anywhere, through anything. I meant it when I said it, and kept my promise. Now you're breaking yours. Goodbye Paul. " My voice shakes as I tear up.

"Goodbye Bella. "

He steps forward and sorrowfully looks at me, his molten chocolate eyes are filled with pain and steely resolve. He kisses my hair and walks out the door. I keep my composure until the door clicks, once it does I let out a whimper and drop to my knees and sob. I faintly hear him make a sound then the elevator down the hall open and close. I don't know how long I kneel on the cold floor, but once I do gain enough strength to stand, I have to hold the walls. Slowly making my way towards my room, I knock every photo of Paul and I to the floor, ignoring the shards of glass that enter my feet as I leave bloody prints on the floor. I walk past the guest room where I've been sleeping, to the master bedroom and curl up on the bed pressing my face into Paul's pillow and fall into a restless sleep.

~The Next Morning~

I open my puffy, swollen eyes to see watery sunlight coming through the cracked blinds. I groan and roll over, slowly remembering what happened last night and begin to feel my feet throbbing and crusted over with dried blood.

"Fuck.." I whimper sitting up, instantly noticing how bloody the sheets are from me tossing and turning all night. I gently set my feet on the floor and bite my lip, hissing at the pain. Hobbling, I make my way to the living room where I left my phone, walking through glass once again, making my feet worse. I notice I have a few messages from Paul and Kim, ignoring them I call Jared.

"Hello?" He answers on the second ring.

"Hey, I need you to come sew up my feet. " My voice cracks and he can instantly noticing I'm barely holding together,the perks of being your ex boyfriend's brother's best friend.

"Do I wanna-" he starts, but is cut off by a voice in the background.

"It's work Paul. Go back to sleep... I'll be there in less than ten." He hangs up and I sit on the couch, propping my feet on the coffee table, trying not to think.

After five minutes, Jared opens the door and notices the bloody footprints.

"What happened?" He questions setting his huge first aid kit in the floor under my feet.

"Did M-Paul not tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

I take a breath. "He broke up with me, after almost eight years. "

"He didn't say that, he just said he needed a place to crash. I'll talk to him when I get back. Now, tell me me what caused this." He lifts my ankles, setting them on a fluffy towel.

"After he walked out I crumbled, I sat I think floor for a while, when I did get back up I knocked the pictures off the walls, and walked through the glass. I didn't feel it last night, but it must be bad from the blood on the sheets." My voice wobbles, I watch him as I furiously wipe tears from my cheeks.

"You don't seem too upset about him leaving though, despite the fit you threw. Any other time y'all fought one of you would beg the other to come home. " Jared glances up at me, pulling shards of glass out of my skin.

"I don't think it's truly hit me yet, I keep expecting him to walk through the door, telling me he was sorry, that it was just an episode." Jared shakes his head and begins sewing the gashes. Watching him, I see emotions flow across his face. I choose not to ask him about them and let him work in silence.

After about twenty minutes my feet are sewn and wrapped, Jared is putting away his tools.

"Stay off of them as much as possible, keep them cleaned and change the bandages every day. "

I sigh.

"I have to dance, that's my job. "

"It'll take even longer to heal Bella. " I shrug and he hugs me and leaves. I sit there for a while longer before getting up and getting ready for work.

I hadn't spoke to Paul since the night he left over three months ago; a few days after he left Jared came by and packed up Paul's things after checking to see that my feet were healing as they should - they weren't because I had to work and be on them all day- and then left.


	4. Chapter 4

-At the studio. 11 pm-

*Ring….Ring...Ring..Ri-*

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this ?"  
"Yes, may I ask who's calling?"

"Yes, hello , I am sorry to bother you,my name is Doctor Noah Blakley, and I have a patient here by the name of Paul Meraz. You are the only person who he has on his emergency contact. He was found in a motel off seventeenth street, as a victim of suicide. He has two bullet wounds to his abdomen, we have him prepped for surgery and when it's over I need you to come down to Forks Medical and sign some papers."

"I'll be there as soon as possible." I tell him and he ends the call. I pack the rest of my clothes, foregoing changing into normal clothes, keeping on my yoga pants and crop top and rushing to my car after locking up the studio.

~At the hospital~

The elevator dinging loudly pulled me out of my thoughts. Looking up from my sneakered feet, I step out searching for the nurses station.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" I say anxiously.

An elderly nurse walks over to me smiling kindly, easing my nerves some.

"How can I help you dear?"

"I'm here to talk to Doctor Blakely? A friend of mine, Paul Meraz was admitted earlier today, he asked me to come in to sign some paperwork."

She nods and types into the computer. After a few minutes she sighs sadly and looks up at me.

"He's still in surgery with Mr. Meraz. We have his room prepped for him, you can wait there in room four-oh-nine or you can head up to the surgery wing, two floors up and on your right. " She tells me.

"Do you know how much longer the surgery will be?" I ask fearing the answer.

"No honey, I don't. I'm sorry." I nod to her and head back to the elevator.

After I get up to the floor and check in with the nurses station and getting a cup of nasty coffee, I sit in one of the hard and uncomfortable chairs and wait. I knew that he would begin to spiral down after he left, since no one else is able to help him keep his head on his shoulders. The more that I think about Paul, the angrier I get at Jared. I knew that Jared would check in on his brother, but Jared couldn't tell when his brother was hurting, and Paul was too proudful to admit that he needs help.

I sit for hours and watch different blood covered surgeons come through those double doors and give families different news; some good, some bad, some horrible. As I wait, the nervousness rises, closing my throat and causes my body to shake; all kinds of scenarios flow through my mind, terrifying me.

After about another hour and a half, a tall brown, lightly tanned man walks out and calls, "Family for Meraz?" and looks around. Standing up, I shakily walk towards him, chewing on my lip.

He looks at me with a grim smile and shakes my hand.

"Hello, Ms. Swan. I am sorry to have called you so late, but he had no one else on his contact list. You're his fiancee?"He questions, I nod numbly, surprised that is what he had listed.

"I did x-rays before the surgery to see where the shards ended up since there was too much blood for me to see the entry wounds, and I found shards of shrapnel embedded deep in his back, surrounded by pockets of infection. Did you know that he had been blowin up?"

I look at him surprised, "No, I had no idea. When he came home a few months ago, I could tell that something was different, that something had happened. I know him well enough, that I had hoped he would tell me what happened, after he had come to terms with whatever it was. Now I know why he didn't." I mumble.

"Well, I went in and removed the larger, more dangerous pieces that were near his vital organs and I placed drain tubes through his back to get out as much infection as possible. He is headed to his room as we speak, he will be asleep for a little bit longer. He woke up in recovery and was a little angry, so we put him to sleep a little longer; If he doesn't wake up in two hours, tell the nurse and we'll get him awake." He leads me over to the nurse station and catches the head nurse's attention.

"Nurse Erica, I want you to get all the inpatient paperwork ready for and , have it sent to room four-oh-nine, and the head nurse that is working tonight from that floor will bring it to me.", He turns to me, "Mr. Meraz will be on suicide watch during the time that he is here, and I am giving you power of attorney so his decisions are not valid. Go see your fiance, keep an eye on him." He shakes my hand and I numbly nod heading down to his room.

"Thank you Doctor Blakely." I shakily smile at him before the elevator doors close behind me. As the elevator moves, I begin to realize that Jared helped Paul keep this hidden from me, from everyone.

I step off the elevator and look at the digital clock on the wall, it reads: 4:35 am. I pull out my phone and call Jared as I look for Paul's room.


	5. Chapter 5

**PLEASE READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. THIS IS YOUR WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SOME EMOTIONAL POINTS AND MAY CLASSIFY AS A TRIGGER!  
**

~Ring...Ring..Rin~

" _Hello?_ "

"Why didn't you tell me that Paul was blown up, that he had shrapnel embedded in his back?"

" _What are you talking about? Bella it's four in the morning, call me later._ "

"Paul tried to kill himself this morning."

I hear him take a breath.

" _What?_ "  
"He was found in the ratty motel on seventeenth. Two self inflicted bullet wounds to the chest. The doc called me at eleven earlier last night, they took x-rays and found the shrapnel. It's surrounded by infection, since y'all didn't tell anyone. You probably need to get up here before he wakes, so you two can tell me what happened and why it was kept from me."

I find Paul's room and lean against the door, not wanting my conversation to wake him, I don't want to deal with an argumentative Paul at four in the morning.

" _I had no other choice. Paul commanded me to keep my mouth shut about it. He is above me, I have to listen to his orders. If he hadn't said anything, I would have told you my self. I'd have called you after it happened."_

"Jared, you and I both know that isn't true. You would have kept this from me until Paul grew the balls to tell me himself. Now, either get up here and see your brother or don't, I don't care." I hang up and look up from the linoleum floor and see nurses and patients watching me curiously. Rolling my eyes I walk into Paul's room and close the door and the curtains. I place my bag on the window seat and sit in the recliner by his bed and begin to wait again.

As I look him over, my heart tightens; His once clean cut hair was shaggy and unkempt, a week's worth of stubble across his chin, his skin seemed to hang from his bones. The blackened skin under his eyes showed that he has had many sleepless nights.

"Oh Paul. What am I gonna do with you?" I whisper biting my lip. Hearing the door knob turn, I look up to see Jared peak his head in.

"Is he awake yet?" He steps in, he's in sweats, a hoodie and flip-flops.

"No."

He walks to the foot of Paul's bed and watches him as he speaks to me, "I'm so sorry Bella. I wanted to tell you, I really did. He ordered me to keep my mouth shut."  
"How did it happen?"

"The whole platoon got a call from base, there were civilians trapped in a cave about a hundred klicks from us, pinned by rebels. We had no idea that it was a trap. We sent the bomb dogs in first, they came back and said they hadn't found anything,so more than half of us went in. Paul got to the cave first, took out about ten rebels on his own, went to step into the cave and turn to us, when the bomb went off. It was tons of low grade explosives that the dogs wouldn't have smelled and shards of metal," He takes a breath and looks at me finally. "He was blown thirty feet away, unconscious, bleeding everywhere. We secured the perimeter, ran him back to our camp and we medics began to clean and bandage the wound. He woke up on the way back to base and commanded us all not to tell anyone. We weren't even allowed to say that he got injured. We only told the General that we lost part of our platoon during the trap, but nothing else. I don't even know why he didn't want us to tell anyone...He hid the pain extremely well though, no one could tell that he was hurt. I only knew because I changed his bandages and pulled out the shards that were closest to the surface of his skin. I told him he needed to go to the doctor, to get his back checked out, but he never listened." His voice broke and he glared at his brother.

"I could tell as soon as I saw him at the airport that something had happened."

The sheets rustled and I look to see Paul just moving.

"You should have told me anyways. Paul told me himself that orders from a C.O after a deployment comes home are invalid. He had power over you before you touched down on civilian soil, but as soon as that plane's wheels touched down, that order lost its power." Jared looked over at me, his eyes filled with tears and anger.

"I kept my mouth shut out of respect for my brother."

"I deserved to know what happens to him! For the last few years, I was the one he came to when he needed something, when something was wrong, I was the one who he hit when he was in an episode, I was the one that held him as he cried and told me he wanted to die...I was the one who fixed him up when he hurt himself. It was me. I still love him damn it! I had the right to know!" I cry standing toe to toe with him. He looks at me in shock.

 ** _AN:_**

 ** _Please leave a me a review! I'd like to hear some feedback! Thanks and have a great day!  
BeautifulScars 3_**


	6. Chapter 6

_**I just wanna give a quick shout out to**_ beccalovesbumblebee _**because she was the very first person to review! Thank you so much!**_

 _ **IF you like the story or have any comments please feel free to review!**_

 _ **Also, I'm sorry that the chapters are all different sizes, there are just things that take longer to say than others. I hope you like! One more time, REVEWWWWW!**_

"He hit you?"

"Yeah, he wasn't in the right mind. I was slammed into walls, slapped, almost strangled in my sleep. I took it though, it helped him. I'd do anything to help him, to make him happy." I sit back down and look at my feet.

"I-I'm sorry I kept it from you. He never told anyone what you did for him, no one knew how bad his PTSD was." Jared pulls up another recliner and sits on the other side of Paul.

"I never said anything about what she did for me because I felt ashamed that I couldn't handle it myself. I felt ashamed that I hurt the one person who always loved me, no matter what I did. That was the reason that I didn't want anyone to know I was injured, I'd be sent home to recover,but I'd just injure the one that cared the most even more." Paul's voice was scratchy and low, but as soon as I heard the first note, my eyes were on him.

His eyes were haunted, but were alert.

"You have infection in your blood." He just shrugs.

"You don't seem to care that you may die? You don't care that we could have lost you?"  
He shakes his head, " I want to die. Jared will get my insurance policy and you'll be able to move on. I hurt my family too much to deserve to be here." He looks away from us to the wall directly in front of him.

I begin to shake with emotion.

"Paul, you don't mean that." Jared tells him.

"Yes I do! I have hurt her too much! I don't deserve to live in a place where all I do is hurt the one person who would never leave me. I left her, I had no reason to, yet I did anyway. I thought that leaving her and getting out on my own, that I could get a handle on myself and get better. I hate that I can't help myself get through an episode." He trails off and I watch as he begins to sink into himself.

I stand and lean over him.

"Look at me Paul." He refuses and I look at Jared and motion for him to leave for a moment. Once he leaves I gently turn him to face me.

"I want you to focus on me. Listen, I understand that you feel helpless, but you can't sink into yourself right now. You need to be awake and functioning so you can get better. These doctors can help you Paul. Just please, focus on me." I whisper watching his face.

His eyes water, wiping a tear away, I smile at him.

"I'll be here until you get released. I promise." He nods shakily and I sit back down.

"You're on a constant suicide watch, I have power of attorney, which means that you can't make decisions about your health or condition right now, and you won't be released until the doctor says that you are healed enough to leave. You're gonna be on antibiotics and what not as well."

"Why were you called? I thought that they would have called Jared first?"

"Whenever you got sick a few years ago you put me on your list first, you apparently forgot to put Jared on." He nods and I smile shakily.

"Aren't you cold?" He says taking in my form. I glance down confused and see yoga pants and a crop top.

"Oh. Right. When Jared gets back I'll head home, change and pack a bag. If you want, I can run by Jared's and grab you some shorts? I'm sure you don't wanna sit in that ass-less gown the entire time that you're here." I say as I move from his bed back to my original spot.

"D-did you move on?" He asks after a few moments. I look up shocked.

"Why?"

"Because I am no good for you. I want you to move on. Hell, if I could change you being on my list, I would."

"Is that why you have me as your fiance` on the emergency list?"  
"At one time in my life I wanted to marry you, I'll change it when I get out of here."  
"You couldn't have changed how you feel about me that quickly Paul. It's been three months and I'll admit that I still love you. You can't forget the life we had together, eight years Paul. How can you tell me to my face that you don't have feelings for me too?" My voice shakes as my eyes start to water. He looks away as I swipe the tears from my face.

I look up as a nurse walks in.

"Mr. Meraz, . I have the paperwork that Dr,Blakely needs filled out," She hands me the papers and looks to Paul, "I'll let the doctor know that you're awake." She checks his saline IV and smiles. "Bring those papers back to the Nurses Station when you're done." She walks out and Jared walks in.

"I'm going home to shower and pack a bag. I'll be back in a few hours." I pick up my bag and walk out the door.

On the drive home I cussed Paul to hell and back. Once I got my shower, I laid down in my bad and passed out.

~An hour later~

Ring...Ring..Rin-

Groaning I answer the phone without looking at the screen.

"Hello?"  
" _Bella! I need you at the hospital._ " I push myself up.

"What happened?"  
" _It's Paul. He just started to bleed from his nose and passed out."_

"I'm on my way." I hang up and grab my bag as I run to the truck.

Once I get to the hospital and fly up to Paul's room. I walk in to see Jared with his head in his hands and Kim rubbing his back, yet Paul's bed wasn't in the room.

"Where is he?"  
"They took him to do a CAT scan and an MRI to see what caused the bleeding." Kim says looking up. I turn and walk from the room and give the nurse Paul's paperwork. When I get back I sit in the window seat and begin to wait for the doctor to return.

 ** _Love yall!  
_** BeautifulScars 3


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: HEY GUYSSS! THANKS TO THOSE WHO FOLLOWED AND FAVORITED (PROBABLY SPELLED WRONG) BUT THANKS!**_

 _ **Also, please if you read this, please review and tell me what you think! I don't care if you have something bad to say, I wanna hear it! Have a great day y'all!**_

"Ms. Swan?" I jerk up and look to see the doctor standing over me.  
"Y-yes?"  
"I'm so sorry to have to tell you this, but the infection has gotten so bad that Mr. Meraz's body is rejecting the treatment. The only way that I could think of to help his body heal is to put him into a medically induced coma. The rate that the infection damaged his internal organs was extremely fast,but since he won't be able to stress his body anymore, he should heal at a faster rate than if he were awake."

"Weren't you supposed to get my permission first?"  
"Technically, if the paperwork were turned in,yes, but I had to make this decision for the patient. I didn't have time to consult you."

"Will he wake up?" Jared asks looking at the doctor from across the room.

"He should. I'm not for certain because the damage was so great, but he should. He'll be sent back to this room soon." He shakes my hand and nods to Jared before leaving.

A coma, the man that I love is in a coma. I drop to my knees. _He may never wake up._

"He'll be okay Bells." Kim says as she kneels beside me.

"Yeah. I know." I say as I force myself up and sit on the window seat, waiting on Paul to be brought back to the room.

About an hour later a group of nurses brings him in and sets up the oxygen and the other machines that he needs to keep him alive.

"Let the nurses station know if there is any complications or if you have any complications." The nurses and Jared and Kim leave and I move closer to Paul.

I sit there for a few hours simply thinking about the time that Paul and I had spent together and how I had hoped our life would turn out.

"You know, I had high hopes for you and I. We'd been together for eight and a half years, I never thought that this would have happened.. I thought you and I would have made the next step, and apparently before you left on this last tour, you were planning to take that next step, but life threw a large curve ball...Whether you can hear me or not, I love you Paul. I'm not going anywhere unless I have to. I promise." I lean back in the chair and slowly begin to tell him about my life after he left.

"I wonder if Jared ever told you the reason he left his house the day after you left me. If not I'll tell you. I knocked all of the pictures of you and I off the wall and walked through the glass after I got up from my knees after three hours. I woke up that next morning and reopened the cuts and added new ones walking into the living room to let Jared in. He told me that I needed to stay off my feet and you know me, I didn't listen. I still had to go to work and take care of myself," I began to chuckle, "I bet you guessed already, but I ended up with an infection. It wasn't as bad as yours obviously, but yeah." I talked to him for hours, simply because I was trying to drown out the incessant beeping that was coming from his heart monitor.

Paul has been in this coma for almost a week, and I haven't left his side unless I had to shower or what not. But that changed today. Today his mother Erika Meraz showed up.

"Where is my son? What did that pale faced bitch do to my son?" I hear her screechy voice from down the hall and sigh. Erika Meraz hates me and everything that I stand for in her son's life.

Paul left home when he was seventeen and enlisted in the army against Erica's wished and moved in with me and Charlie to finish high school. When Erica found out that Paul and I were together, she lost it. She would call my phone almost every day to tell me that I wasn't worthy of her son as a paleface or as a woman, until I changed my number. Once she somehow found out that Paul was going to be bounced around from base to base in his first tour, she tried to convince his commanding officer to let her go with him, instead of me. After her embarrassing him at the beginning of his first tour, he told her to stay out of his life, and she hadn't.  
 _I wish he would have gotten that restraining order_ I think to myself as I hear her heels clicking down the hallway.

While the La Push Rez may be poor, Erika Mraz was not. She started up her own business when Paul was around thirteen, and has been making good money ever since. I walk out the door and close it gently behind me as I face down Erika.

"What did you do to my son?" She hisses. Her eyes filled with hatred, her fake blonde hair pulled back into a tight bun, her pant-suit was wrinkled and stained in many places.

"I didn't do anything to him. He did this to himself." I say calmly, she brings herself up, only an inch taller than me, and I laugh at her attempt to be above me.

"What are you laughing at? What do you mean he did this to himself? What did you do you stupid bitch?" She screeches.

"I'm laughing at you. If you hadn't screwed up his life and tried to control him, you would be in the loop on what happened. At this moment, you have no reason to know what's wrong with him."  
"All I have to do is tell the doctor that I am his mother and they'll tell me what's wrong with him, you stupid bitch." She sneered grabbing my arm. I pull my arm out of her grasp and laugh.

"You're wrong. I have power of attorney, and you aren't on his contact list. They will come to me to see if they can give out his information, and I'll tell them no. You've meddled in his life and our life enough. He told you before his first tour, before we even left for the base that he didn't want you in his life anymore. You need to leave." I step back and lean against Paul's door watching her cautiously. This woman can be very dangerous.

Looking around I notice a security guard walking towards us, "Can I help you ladies?"  
I nod, "This woman needs to be removed from in front of this patient's door, she has no reason to be here. The patient told her that he didn't want her in the room or even knowing what's wrong with him." He nods and gently begins to lead her away from the door and down the hall. I follow behind to make sure that she is actually led away from the hospital.

 _ **Please review y'all! It'll make me happy!**_

 ** _-BeautifulScars 3_**


	8. Chapter 8

Once we get outside I stand just off the automated sensor and watch as she is escorted to the parking garage. I was only standing out there for a few moments when I heard something that made my blood freeze: " Blakely, Code Blue, four- oh-nine, corridor four. Repeat: Blakely, Code Blue, four- oh-nine, corridor four." I turn and bolt towards the elevators, when they take forever I head for the stairs, thanking who ever put the doors on the second floor instead of the first, as I took two steps at a time.

When I get to the room panting to see Dr. Blakely trying to resuscitate him. I try to get into the room, but after being pushed from the room twice, I watch helplessly as they try to bring him back three or four times. Each time his body jerks off the bed my heart clenches. After four times I watch as the nurses look towards the window where I am standing and gives me pitiful look as the doctor tries one more time. I pray to any and every god that this time works, and I watch as my prayers are answered. Paul's heartbeat is faint and irregular, but that's perfect to me, he's alive and that's all I care about.

"I want tests run, I want to find out why this happened. Get another MRI, full CAT scan, blood tests, all of it. This shouldn't have happened, so let's find out what happened." Doctor Blakely says as he puts away the paddles and applies burn cream to the new burns on his skin. I walk into the room and nod to the Doctor and walk over to Paul. I look over the new burns and the scars littered across his abdomen, my eyes linger on the new-ish ink above his heart. " _Bella_ " in beautiful small script.

" , we're going to take Paul down to have some tests run." A nurse says as she pulls me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, okay." I step away from Paul and sit on the window sill and call Jared to tell him what happened.

~A few months later~

"Hey Bells." I look up from the book that I was reading to Paul to see Kim in the doorway.

"Is it three already?" I ask glancing over to the clock. She nods and I stand, stretching.

"I'll be back in an hour Paul, I gotta go to work. Don't freak out like last time." I lean over and place a soft kiss on his brow, watch his heartbeat for a few moments, making sure that it doesn't fluctuate too much, then head out to my car. On the way down the elevator I think of the first time Paul freaked. All of his tests came back normal, but I had a small theory: His subconscious knows that of all the people that would watch over him while this injured is me. I tested it after talking with the doctor and Jared, they agreed that it could be a instinctive thing. Once Paul got stabilized and used to me being in the room, I walked out into the hall a little ways. HIs heart monitor started to beep faster, I walk back in and it goes back to normal, Jared does the same thing and there is no change in his heart beat. Since then I tell Paul where I am going and how long I'll be gone and that usually keeps him from freaking out. Most people may think that it's weird that I tell my unconscious ex-boyfriend where I am going, but I don't care, I can't let him have a heart-attack.

I step out of Fork's Medical and walk to the truck in the light rain, driving slowly to the studio and get ready to teach my class. Afterword I get stuck in a conversation with Jesse.

"Bella, I need you to come teach more classes. I can't do it all myself anymore." He tells me leaning against his locker.

"I told you, I can teach classes everyday for one to three hours, you know I can't leave him." I pull my bag out of my locker and throw it over my shoulder.

"Yeah, you gotta stay by the guy who broke your heart and tried to kill himself. Makes so much sense." Jesse sneers at me and I glare at him.

"You've no idea what the hell you're talkin about Jesse." I growl.

"Yeah I do. You seem to think that when Paul wakes up he'll see you standing over him and fall right back in love with you. But guess what Bells? That isn't how life works! You should just let his brother and his brother's girlfriend take care of him and move the fuck on! You of all people deserve better than a suicidal dick head!" He takes a step towards me and I lose my temper. I slam my elbow into his throat, pushing him against the lockers.

"Listen here you asshole! You have no idea what that man has done for his country, he is one of the men that fought for your freedom and came home broken. Not just mentally, but physically and emotionally as well. He has seen more carnage in the last four years than you ever will in your life. I've always been the one that he could depend on to never leave him when he was on American soil. His brother has his own life and has to care for himself. I have seen the darkest parts of Paul, no one else ever will. That's why I won't ever leave him, I can't. He needs me now more than ever so suck it up." I watch as he struggles to push me off, his face growing purple. This is one of the times I am grateful to have a best friend to teach me how to protect myself from morons.

I let him go watching as he drops to the floor. "Say anything else about my life or Paul's, or try to tell me how to run my business and you'll be fired." I turn from him and walk out to my truck and head to my apartment to shower and change real quick. I glance at the clock on the dash seeing that I have twenty minutes. "Shit." I mumble calling Kim.

" _Hey Bells."_ She picks up after the first ring.

"Tell Paul that I'll be there in thirty, I have to get a shower and calm down." I put the phone between my shoulder and ear pulling out onto main street.

" _What happened?_ "

"Jesse running his mouth, nothing to worry about. Tell him I'll be back soon." I hang up as I pull into a parking space infront of my building and bolt up the stairs and into the musty apartment. After a hot shower and new clothes I pack my duffel with clean clothes and head back out to the truck. Halfway back to the hospital Jared calls me.

"Hello?"  
" _Hey Bells!"_

"What's up Jare?"  
" _Guess what just happened?"  
_ "What?"

" _Paul moved. His finger moved! The doctor doesn't think that it's an improvement, but I know that you'd care. He might move more if you were here to talk to him."_

"I'm almost at the hospital, keep talking to him, try to convince him to wake up." I hang up the phone a few moments later as I pull into the parking lot and head up to his room. When I get there Jared is reading some gun magazine to him.

"Hey Paul, hey Jared." I grin as I walk in and set my bag on the window seat and sit in the recliner across from Jared, grabbing Paul's hand.

"Which hand moved?" I look up at Jared and he nods to the one that I'm holding.

"That one. His pinkie lifted, it may seem insignificant to them, but it was pretty important to me." I nod and turn to watch Paul's face as Jared begins reading again. We sit there for a few hours until a nurse knocks on the door frame.

"Sorry to bother you, but it's mr Meraz's turn for a bathing, Mrs. Swan, you'll have to leave." I nod to her and kiss Pau's knuckles.

"I'll be in the hallway, don't panic, I'll be back soon." I step out into the hallway and lean against the wall. I watch as nurses, doctors and patients walk by, wondering when Paul would actually wake up.  
"Bella Swan?" I look up to see a man in Army fatigues standing in front of me.

"Yes, can I help you?" I ask hesitantly. I know every person in Paul's Platoon and this man was not a part of it, so I instantly was on guard.

"I am sorry to bother you ma'am, I am General Sam Uley. I heard that Paul was in the hospital while overseas, I just got back on home soil and thought that it would be a good idea to come check on him. No one told me why he was in here, are you able to tell me?" I look Sam over, he was probably from the Rez like Paul was, but he looks about two years older. His black hair was cropped short, his skin richly tanned, he has the same haunted look that Paul had after he came home from a tour.

"It's nice to meet you General. Im sure that Jared can tell you better than I can,." I say as the nurse and Jared walk out of the room. Jared nods to me and shakes Sam's hand.

"What can I do for you Sam?" Jared asks.

"I heard that Paul was in a coma from the Base, thought that I would come check on him while I was home. What happened? No one on base knows." He wipes his sweaty hands on the legs of his fatigues.

"His PTSD got really bad, he tried to kill himself. There was internal damage, so they had to put him in a coma. He flatlined once when Bella left, his subconscious somehow could tell that she was in the room, that he was safe, but she left to escort someone out of the hospital and his body freaked out. He was brought back with paddles, and he has been good since. Now it's just a waiting game for when he'll wake up." Jared explains, I motion to Sam and have him come in the room as Jared explains so I can be near Paul.

"If you watch his heart monitor from when she steps out of the room without telling him where she is going and how long she'll be gone, he freaks out." Sam nods and stands at the foot of the bed.

"I'll let base know and make sure that his entire platoon is stationed here at home until he wakes up and is able to come back to work. Get better Paul." He lightly pats Paul's leg, nods to Jared and I and leaves.

"I'm surprised that he came. We never thought that he cared that much about his soldiers. " Jared says as he walks to me.

"It's getting late and I gotta get home, Love ya, Bells. Get some rest." He hugs me and walks to the door, "I'll see you tomorrow Paul." He says and walk out.

"So, guess what Jesse did today." I take my shoes off and begin to tell him about my day as the night wears on.

 _I really hope you wake up soon Paul. I miss you._


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9**_

It's been two days since Paul moved his finger and I think that he is close to waking up, more of his limbs have moved. At first he moved his finger, then it was his foot, his arm and then his head. The doctor's and nurses just think it's his body moving to keep his limbs from going numb, but I don't agree.

"Paul. You need to wake up! It's getting colder out here, it's your favorite time of the year, don't you wanna see the leaves change?" Jared tells him as he opens the curtains to let in the watery sunlight. I smile softly watching Jared try to wake his brother, I had been trying to do the same thing since he first moved. There are times when we talk to him that he moves in response, like when Jared talked about the leaves changing, Paul's lips twitched like he was trying to smile.

"Come on Paul, don't you wanna help me carve the biggest pumpkin we can find? You'd make it as creepy as possible and I'd make you all kinds of pumpkin flavored desserts, Wake up honey." I whisper to him as I lay my cheek on his arm. It's been difficult for me to get any rest while here, I hadn't had a full night's sleep in a long time. During the afternoon after teaching my dance class, I would come in and talk to Paul about my day and half way through it, I'd fall asleep for a few hours. I had just begun to doze off when Paul's hand moved.

"Paul?" I sit up and watch his eyelids twitch and begin to open.  
"Jared, get a nurse!"I say and he runs out of the room. Paul opens his eyes and tries to take a breath on his own and starts to freak out because of the tube in his throat. I stand and push his arms down, "It's okay Paul. Don't panic, the nurse will take it out in a moment." He blinks at me as the nurse walks in.

"Good afternoon ." He says as he walks over to Paul and gently pulls the tube. Once it's out,the nurse leaves. I help Paul sit up and pour him a glass of water, putting a straw in it so he can sip on it. He sips for a few moments and pulls away and look around confused.

"What happened? Why are you here? I thought we broke up?" He looks to me, his voice scratchy and soft, raising an eyebrow.

"The infection was so bad that it caused your body to slow everything down and barely work, so it could try to fight the infection. You've been in a coma for close to five months." My voice wobbles, "I was the only one that you had on your emergency contact list, I came here to sign papers to say that they could remove the bullets and fix the internal bleeding..They found the shards of shrapnel and infection in your back. They weren't able to remove the smaller shards because of the coma, but they drained a lot of the infection. I stayed because the doctor would find it odd that the woman that you put down as your fiance` wouldn't be here for you.." He nods unsurprised.

"I thought we broke up." He stares at me, his eyes harsh.

"We did, but apparently your subconscious knew that I was here and that you were safe if I was near you. Your mother came to see you, and I had to have her escorted from the hospital, I knew that you probably wouldn't want her here. I walked her to the main entrance and once I stepped outside the hospital, you went into cardiac arrest, they brought you back after a few tries, and I realised that your mind freaked if I didn't tell you where I was going and when I would be back." He seems shocked.

"You don't have to be here now that I'm awake, you can go on with your life." He waves to the door.

"Sorry, I can't do that. Your decision making privileges have been taken away. Since you tried to kill yourself, you can't make any decisions pertaining to your health." I sit in the recliner near his bed and watch him, his face grows red in anger.

"I am a grown man. I don't need you to do that!" He rumbles.

"That's too bad." I say and he growls.  
" I want the doctor. I am changing my contact list to Jared." He looks to his brother, who shakes his head.

"No, if you do, you still wouldn't be able to make your own decision. I'd be even worse than Bella." Jared sits opposite of me and watches Paul, who looks at me angrily.

"I don't love you Bella. I never have. I never will. I hate you, you're the reason I wanted to kill myself, you treated me so horribly!" I roll my eyes.

"That isn't what you told me months ago. You felt bad that you treated me badly.. I never treated you badly, I let you get away with practically abusing me, because I love you. I must be stupid as hell to put up with this, but I have to until the doctor says that you can take care of yourself. After words, I'll leave you alone again." I look from him, to the floor and look towards the door, feeling my heart break slowly, knowing that he is just trying to hurt me.  
"Why don't you go ahead and leave, go cry in the hallway." In the blink of an eye my palm is burning, a large print of my hand on his cheek.

"I don't know what's gotten into you, but if you wanted to die so fucking much you should have stayed over seas in your bullshit war and let one of your so called enemies kill you! You came back here, pretend to love me for a few months, then you left to go try to kill yourself. No wonder you're so fucking miserable. I'll call Sam up, let him get your rights, I'll fucking go home." I turn from him, pick up my bag and walk out the door, and down to my car.

- _Hey Sam, it's Bella Swan, Paul misses you and is awake. Please come see him_ , I send Sam in a text as I walk to my car.

"Bella!" Jared followed me out to my truck, I ignore him as I stuff my bags and books into the passenger side.

"You of all people know that Paul is an asshole when he wakes up, especially if he wakes up somewhere he doesn't remember. Come back inside and talk it out." He gently tugs on my arm, I look up at him shaking with emotions.

"He doesn't want to talk about it. All he wants is to me to leave him alone." I snap.

"Just try." He ignores my protests and gently tugs me back into the hospital. I walk with him, my teeth digging into my cheek. I know how Paul is. He doesn't want me there, and he will keep making me upset so I leave anyway. No matter what Jared says, he will keep on.

Walking into the hospital room once more, Paul is now sitting up, his arms crossed staring at the wall.

"You are going to sit and you both will talk. Bella, you need to tell him all about the night he left up until now. You need to tell him everything that happened, why you never left his side. Paul," He made his brother look him in the eye, "You will tell her what happened in Afghanistan, and why you kept your injuries from her and from Sam. I am not leaving until this is settled." I sit in the recliner next to Paul's bed and get comfortable.

"I can start if you want Paul?" He looks over at me and nods.

"The night you left, I was obviously upset. I kneeled in the floor for hours, until I finally ran out of tears. I knocked all of our photos off the wall and walked through all the glass, I apparently didn't feel any of the pain, then crawled into our bed and curled into your pillow. The next morning I woke up, saw all of the damage I did to the sheets, they had stuck to my feet and when I got up I reopened the wounds. Walking back through the glass created more wounds, so Jared was the first and only person I called. He cleaned my wounds, and told me to take a week or so off work so they can heal, but with you gone, I had to keep up with bills and what not. I got an infection. Anyways, about three or four weeks later Dr. Noah calls me around eleven or later, he told me you were found with two self-inflicted gunshot wounds. I apparently was the only one on your emergency contact list...as your fiance." I pause looking up from the bed to see his reaction. He looks from me to the bed, pain and regret written across his face.

"Keep going..I-I'm still listening." He rumbles gently fiddling with the fabric of his blanket.

" I got here as fast as I could. I ran so many redlights on the way here. You may have left the relationship, you may have ended things with us, but that didn't matter to me. What mattered was that the man that I love tried to take his own life. T-that I wasn't there when you needed someone. That you thought that you were that alone." My voice breaks but I continue.

"Dr. Noah told me that you had shrapnel in your back from being blown up, that there was pockets of infection all through your back. I signed all the papers and you had the surgery to get out all of the bullets and larger pieces of shrapnel. You were okay afterward, you were just sleeping when I left to go get some sleep and change, I planned to come back after a few hours. Jared was here, so I thought you were okay. I maybe was asleep for an hour when he called me. You had went into a coma because of all that your body had just went through. We realized that when I left that you would freak out so I began to tell you every time I left how long I would be gone and what I was doing, it helped. Then you woke up almost eight months later." He nods.

"We were just doing a normal patrol. Dogs didn't alert to any bombs or anything. We did a sweep of a cave. I stayed near the back to keep watch, I heard the explosion and I felt a lot of pain and blacked out. I came to a few minutes later. I knew Jared got a lot of the shrapnel out, and quickly sew up the wounds and I ordered my whole platoon to not speak a word of what happened to me to another soul. I did not want to be sent home and have to go through surgery, physical therapy, the psych evaluations and everything and them be told that I could be honorably discharged. I did want to come home to you, and this tour was going to be my last. I just didn't want to be a burden to you. I wanted to come home and propose and tell you that I was home for good. Without being injured." He takes a breath.

"I thought that if I kept all my pain and suffering from you once I got home that everything would be okay and life would be normal. The pain made me angry, it was a constant reminder that I was lying to you every day. I let everything get out of control. I let myself become cold. The night I wanted to kill myself, was the night that I couldn't take the pain anymore; I thought you would be better off with someone who would always be there for you. I'm sorry Bella." He looks up at me, tears in his eyes.

"I love you. I still do. Will you marry me, still? Even after all of this?" I look up at him in complete shock


	10. Chapter 10

_**I suck at endings, so please forgive me! Please understand that I had no idea where this one was going. This originally started out as a nightmare that I had a few years ago from me and a close friend. I had to turn it into a story so it would quit haunting me. Please let me know what you think. Thank you all who came with me on this crazy, agony - inducing story.**_

 _ **Chapter 10**_

It's been six long months since Paul woke up and proposed, six months of wedding planning. Today was the day!  
"Bella, you ready?" Kim asks me and I turn to her in my gown. It was a simple, yet elegant A-Line, with lace all down it, an a sweetheart neckline. I had a sapphire pendant, a pair of Kim's heels and my hair cascaded down my back in soft ringlets. Simple, nude makeup and a spot of lovely pink lipstick.

"Yes, I am." I follow her to the doors of the chapel, taking Charlies arm.

"Don't let me fall." I murmer as Kim opens the doors.

"Never, Sweetheart." I hear Charlie whisper back, a little rougher than normal. He never thought he'd see Paul and I get this far.

When the wedding march begins, I slowly follow Kim to the front. My eyes not leaving Paul, wanting to run the rest of the way up the isle. His dark eyes reflecting love and happiness back to me. He looks so dashing in his dress blues. I am marrying the love of my life today! I can see the tears welling in his eyes. He is so handsome.

"Take care of my little girl, Meraz." Charlie mumbles to Paul when he gives Paul my hand. Paul simply nods and tightens his grip on my hand.

"You look stunning, Bella." He whispers to me and I blush.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate the joining of Isabella Marie Swan and Paul James Meraz in holy matrimony. If anyone object these two to be wed, please speak now or forever hold their peace…" I tune out the reverend instead to focus on the look of pure love on Paul's face.

"Do you Isabella, take Paul to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?" I look up at the reverend and grin, "I do." He repeats the same to Paul and then Paul kisses me deeply.

"I now pronounce you Husband and Wife."  
The rest of the night goes by in a whorl of happiness and love with our friends and family.

In the coming years Paul and I have had our tiffs, but have always made sure to make up before we go to bed the night before. Two years after getting married, Paul was officially honorably dishcharged from the Army, and went to work with my father at Forks Police department. Three months later we had our first daughter and then three years later a son.

Paul still had some issues with his PTSD, but depended on me, in a non-abusive way, to help him through the memories. We lived a great life filled with love and happiness.

THE END

 _I LOVE YOU ALL!_


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